There are a lot of dogs that have a healthy appetite and Beagles do not fall short of that list. Beagles love eating and if left alone they can eat their dog food and also eat your food if left unattended. Just like humans, if Beagles overeat then they are bound to get fat or gain some extra pounds. 

You could be reading through this blog post and you are like my pet doesn’t eat this much but he is still fat anyway, what’s the problem? The thing is, food is not the only thing that’s capable of making Beagles fat. There are other factors to consider. Since you have made it to this webspace, you learn how to tell when your Beagle is overweight, learn the causes, and finally learn how to help them lose weight.

How to tell if your Beagle is overweight 

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to tell if your Beagle is overweight simply by relying on a scale because this dog breed has a long-range of standard weights. You may want to follow the American Kennel Club weight standard and even though their measurement is true, it’s only true to some extent and I’ll explain why shortly. 

The American Kennel Club says the standard weight for a Beagle that’s 13 inches tall or less is under 20 pounds and for Beagles with a height of 13 to 15 inches weigh around 20 to 30 pounds. Still, there are cases where some Beagles may be heavier than the maximum 30 pounds and it’s not because they are overweight but as a result of other factors such as having a larger bone structure or being taller than 15 inches.

With such variables to consider, how can one truly tell if their Beagle is overweight or not? The first step to take before applying measures to help your Beagle drop a few pounds of flesh is to have your veterinary doctor examine the dog. The vet will be able to tell you if your dog is suffering from being overweight due to health issues and also evaluate your dog’s ability to engage in activities that’ll help it burn calories.

If the report from your vet says your dog is okay then the next thing is to carry out a few physical examinations to determine if the weight is the standard weight or if your Beagle is overweight. 

Look at your Beagle from above: You can check if you see the body narrow down between the ribs and the hips. 

Access your Beagle from the sides: The abdomen usually tucks up into the rib cage, locate or find that uptuck.

Feel the base of your Beagle’s tail: Feel the base to check if it feels smooth and also check the base where it meets the spine.

Feel the rib cage: Feeling the rib cage on a dog with standard weight should be easy. If you do it and you feel some fat it indicates that your Beagle may have some weight issues and if you can’t feel it all then your Beagle is overweight or severely obese.

If you have performed all the above physical examinations and your Beagle seems okay, know that your Beagle isn’t overweight whether its weight matches the standard weight or not.

How do Beagles get fat?

Beagles are active dogs and because of that nature, it becomes difficult for them to get fat at a young age. But once they start to grow older and stop exercising or exercise less, it could lead to them becoming obese. 

Food is another thing, because of their healthy appetite, they’ll keep eating as long as there’s something to eat which can lead to them becoming obese.

Also, there’s the case of the Beagle having an underlying health issue. Health issues like hypothyroidism, crushing’s disease, and heart disease can also make your Beagle obese.

How to help your Beagle lose weight

First of all, you need to know how to take care of a dog. When you know how to do that, helping your dog lose weight becomes easy because you now know what’s good and isn’t good for your dog.

So you have done the physical examination and you are sure that your Beagle is overweight and it’s not just about the Beagle having heavier bones. What do I do to help my canine buddy lose weight? In this section, I’ll be giving you 3 tips you can apply to help your Beagle lose weight. 

Tip 1: Measure calories 

So there’s the tendency that your Beagle is fat because they are consuming way too many calories each day. So, start by measuring your dog’s calorie intake each day and cut it down. Let’s say you feed your Beagle based on the guidelines mentioned on the food package. It simply means you’ll have to stop following such guides. Remember all dogs are not the same and the guides are formulated for active dogs with an average weight. 

When you follow such guides to feed your dog it ultimately means that you are giving your dog 20% to 30% more calories than it truly needs which will accumulate to fat in the long run. To get the right amount of calories your Beagle needs, tell your vet to help you calculate the right amount of calories your dog needs and start working with that guide daily.

A general formula you can use to determine the right amount of calories to feed your dog is to divide the weight of your dog by 2.2, multiply by 30 before adding 70 to the value you obtain. Before using your result, do well to run it through your vet.

Tip 2: Feed your Beagle vegetable treats

When your Beagle is overweight, it’s usually not wise to feed it with manufactured treats. Replace your normal treats with the vegetable treat your dog loves. There are a lot of popular vegetables that dogs love such as apples, baby carrots, celery, bananas, and green beans. The list goes on, so you can try different veggies until you can find the one your dog loves.

Tip 3: Exercise 

The thing is, cutting down calories only stops your dog from gaining weight but what happens to the weight already gained? That’s where exercising comes into the picture. Exercising daily helps your dog to burn calories which results in your dog ultimately losing weight.

Your dog shouldn’t have problems with exercising because naturally, Beagle comes from a line (breed) of hunting dogs and as such, running, chasing, and generally being active is their thing but if you fail to help your dog exercising they help up gaining weight and in some cases become lethargic.

Don’t start with strenuous activities so your dog doesn’t develop any health issues while trying to lose weight. You can start with taking your dog for walks around the block and slowly increase the distance. Create a schedule for it and make sure that you are consistent with the schedule.